Hey 50 & over gang We have a new spot

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

I would love to get a face lift but I can't see shelling out 10 grand for one. Wouldn't it be nice to be rich like those movie stars?

[Little Bit 0]

my son lost over a 100 lbs on his own and had a Tummy Tuck. it was done in missouri and it cost him $5,000. this was almost 4 years ago.

my husband and i stayed with him for a week. i was surprised at how well he did.

today has been a baaaad day. i have been starving. this is my 9th day on my liquid diet. this is the first time i've been this hungry. 4 more days of this. i'm counting down.

[Apples2 19]

My LB surgeon advises waiting a year or more b/4 TT, etc. States the reason is that things can fall into place in that time period and maybe the patient would be more satisfied and not feel the need to go through the surgery. We work so hard at getting this weight off. I know most of us don't for strive for perfection...we just want to be able to pull up our slacks and not have a hanging bulge. I guess my point is that each of us has to decide at a certain point what the trade off is. The surgery that can be painful, expensive and put our life on hold for awhile or are we satisfied (if only somewhat) with the outcome without PS.

There's so many factors that come into play. About midway through my weight loss my belly looked like melting butter. I told one of my good friends that no matter what, if it looked like that at the end of this weight loss journey, I would definitely get a TT.

If we get to goal and look pretty good in our clothes, can a person accept that? The way I see it with my jiggly thighs...I just cannot go through another surgery after all that I have had (especially elective surgery). Been married for 29 yrs and my husband says he loves every part of me. I guess the only time those thighs would be out in public is in a bathing suit. Think I am going to just buy me a pair of boy shorts to go with my bathing suit top.

But, I do admire people that recognize the need for PS and that it will make their journey complete.

[JoannMarie 0]

Apples, I think you are right. This has to be an individual decision and depends on how the individual feels about her/himself at goal and beyond. Not a decision to be made lightly, because that surgery definitely carries some risk (don't they all). For some the tummy problem is also a skin/chafing/infection problem, and that would make the decision easier for me. In that case, insurance may cover due to the health issues involved. I think I may prefer sag to fat, though! I am willing to give it time to adjust and settle in.

P.S. I love the additions to your signature block! Congratulations on reaching your goal!

[mimi 2008 0]

Hi everyone,

Working at our hardware store today after working weds, thurs and fri at my job. Surgery on 10/6, returned to work on 10/15. I hope to have PS in a couple of years if needed, but since I was and am self-pay, I can't afford it until then, besides, the PS said to wait at least a year and to make sure I had lost all the weight I was going to lose.

[peaches9 3]

Ya tt P/S is way expensive... I've been wearing SPANK high top panties and they control A LOT of the gigglies.. my Spanx tuck up under my bra and it holds them in place all day... I just love them!! I have a pair of long line ones too that come to just above the knee for dresses or fitting slacks... but I'm not too concerned about my hips and thighs its my tummy lower and uppper that bother me the most.

[househuntress 1]

Not happy with my progress at the moment.

I've asked this question on another thread but I think I need answers from some about my age.

I'm needing some insight from those that have been doing this longer than I have.

Does the weight loss usually just stop for a while? Do you just slowly loose weight from that point on as your body adjusts?

I live about 3 hours from my doctor and anyone that has been on this journey. The INTERNET is my only help with questions.

The Doctors office isn't helpful..just come in but that costs money..I really just need some advice that isn't read from a brochure.

My Dr. dismissed me at the 1 year mark and set up my next appt. for 6 months later. My 18 mo.. mark will be next Tuesday.

Anyone check in at the 18 month mark and what was your outcome?

I have struggled with the same 5 pounds since April. No more loss. I feel wonderful but still not in wonderland.

I can't seem to break that yo yo with those pounds and get back into that wonderful loosing mode where it was just sooo easy.

I know I pick...can't eat a lot at a sitting unless I haven't eaten much during the day. But if I've pb'ed I'm hungry and just eat a little here and there. I've journaled but can't get a number since I do pb..soooo I don't know how many calories I really take in.

I haven't broken myself of the eating too fast and not chewing well enough.

Any advice or motivational encouragement would be greatly appreciated.

For those that have continued to loose steadily what is your secret?

Great Success to all!

[Katydid 0]

Katydid - you are doing great! Go buy some new clothes! Do you have consignment shops and thrift stores in Western Australia? They seem to be everywhere here, and they can be a great place to shop for us as we lose weight and don't want to spend a lot of money on clothes we will not be wearing very long as we lose more weight.

I hope you will reward yourself for all your hard work. You deserve it!

Hi JoannMarie,

Thank you for your kind words. Yes, we do have shops like that here. We call them Op Shops = Opportunity Shops.

That is a great idea, as soon as I get some ME time, I'll have a look. I always intend to have some ME time but with looking after my folks and taking them to their physio appts etc (they've both had knee replacements recently) running a business from home and trying to clear their house so they are able to sell it, ME time is a few hours sleep in on a Sunday. At the moment I couldn't buy anything nice or fitted because the cricket ball that is protruding from my abdomen doesn't look very attractive and is getting bigger everyday. Most likely another hernia (5th one) or a bowel blockage ( haven't been able to go for over a week even with tablets). Going to insist my GP sends me for a CT Scan asap.

Gosh you'll be a full bottle on all of this before you go in for your op.

You'll be able to tell the surgeon a thing or two as well.

Best wishes.

[dashound_lady 0]

Does anyone know how to firm up the double chin syndrome?

[Apples2 19]

Hi JoannMarie,

Thank you for your kind words. Yes, we do have shops like that here. We call them Op Shops = Opportunity Shops.

That is a great idea, as soon as I get some ME time, I'll have a look. I always intend to have some ME time but with looking after my folks and taking them to their physio appts etc (they've both had knee replacements recently) running a business from home and trying to clear their house so they are able to sell it, ME time is a few hours sleep in on a Sunday. At the moment I couldn't buy anything nice or fitted because the cricket ball that is protruding from my abdomen doesn't look very attractive and is getting bigger everyday. Most likely another hernia (5th one) or a bowel blockage ( haven't been able to go for over a week even with tablets). Going to insist my GP sends me for a CT Scan asap.

Gosh you'll be a full bottle on all of this before you go in for your op.

You'll be able to tell the surgeon a thing or two as well.

Best wishes.

Katydid...Love your Op shops over there. We have been to Australia a few times (we were able to stay a month at a time four diff times). We had two foreign exchange students and have had their families visit us quite a few times. One of the girls is an Op shop addict. We had so much fun digging through racks. We could spend all day and we always had a great time.

Please take the time to look into what is going on with your own health. I have had a number of hernia repairs. I stayed on top of going to the dr., insisting they take a look at what was going on. I had a split in my lower abdomen with the first one 4 years ago. I was rushed to another hospital for a CAT scan. Well, needless to say, they did the CAT while I was laying down and nothing showed. They said that most likely it was an ovarian syst that had ruptured. Found out a couple of weeks later all on my own....a HUGE hernia fell out of my belly while I was bowling. If they would have recognized what it was to begin with, my emergency surgery would have not been so extensive and the recovery time would not have been what it was. The sucker was the size of a football when it popped. I guess the warning I am trying to send is that it is unsafe to let it go. You could be a short step away from a strangulated bowel. Something that is life threatening.

Three weeks ago I again had surgery for a number of hernias and adhesions. The adhesions had my entire bowel system wrapped up. I do not like to lecture but reading your explanation of your symptoms gave me a scare. I realize you are hugely tied up in taking care of your parents but please take care of yourself also so you can be around for them when they need you in the future.

Please, Katy, take the time needed to see what is going on and insist your doc does all the tests necessary to take care of the problem. "Hugs" and take care!:w00t:

[Great2BThin 5]

Not happy with my progress at the moment.

I've asked this question on another thread but I think I need answers from some about my age.

I'm needing some insight from those that have been doing this longer than I have.

Does the weight loss usually just stop for a while? Do you just slowly loose weight from that point on as your body adjusts?

I live about 3 hours from my doctor and anyone that has been on this journey. The INTERNET is my only help with questions.

The Doctors office isn't helpful..just come in but that costs money..I really just need some advice that isn't read from a brochure.

My Dr. dismissed me at the 1 year mark and set up my next appt. for 6 months later. My 18 mo.. mark will be next Tuesday.

Anyone check in at the 18 month mark and what was your outcome?

I have struggled with the same 5 pounds since April. No more loss. I feel wonderful but still not in wonderland.

I can't seem to break that yo yo with those pounds and get back into that wonderful loosing mode where it was just sooo easy.

I know I pick...can't eat a lot at a sitting unless I haven't eaten much during the day. But if I've pb'ed I'm hungry and just eat a little here and there. I've journaled but can't get a number since I do pb..soooo I don't know how many calories I really take in.

I haven't broken myself of the eating too fast and not chewing well enough.

Any advice or motivational encouragement would be greatly appreciated.

For those that have continued to loose steadily what is your secret?

Great Success to all!

Just wanted to say welcome, HouseHuntress. I am not the long time bander you are looking for, but wish you luck in finding in your journey and finding the answers to your struggles. You've come so far!

[JoannMarie 0]

Hi JoannMarie,

Thank you for your kind words. Yes, we do have shops like that here. We call them Op Shops = Opportunity Shops.

That is a great idea, as soon as I get some ME time, I'll have a look. I always intend to have some ME time but with looking after my folks and taking them to their physio appts etc (they've both had knee replacements recently) running a business from home and trying to clear their house so they are able to sell it, ME time is a few hours sleep in on a Sunday. At the moment I couldn't buy anything nice or fitted because the cricket ball that is protruding from my abdomen doesn't look very attractive and is getting bigger everyday. Most likely another hernia (5th one) or a bowel blockage ( haven't been able to go for over a week even with tablets). Going to insist my GP sends me for a CT Scan asap.

Gosh you'll be a full bottle on all of this before you go in for your op.

You'll be able to tell the surgeon a thing or two as well.

Best wishes.

Hi Katydid! I will tell you - if I have learned anything from this forum, it's that I sure don't know much! You gals and guys are the ones on the line right now, I'm just trying to learn everything I can before I take that step. I have had some frustration, esp at the beginning of working with surgical facilities, feeling like this was never going to happen. It seemed at every step my timetable was postponed another month or so, and it was getting more than a little frustrating. But I am tenacious (DH says stubborn) and I have been more determined as I go along. This extra time has actually been a good thing for me - I've kept up with these threads, watched the progress and problems of a lot of banded people, and I know it has helped my understanding of the process and how people are dealing with it. Most of all I know all of you need support (me, too!) and encouragement (me, too!) to find your way on this journey. I don't know what it feels like to have the surgical pain, to PB, or to go through bandster hell, but I will find out soon, and I have a lot better understanding of dealing with those things thanks to all of you great banded people! As for advising my surgeon - wow - she kinda scares me just a little! I can't forget she is the one with the surgical tools and contol of the fill process! I am going to be a very good, compliant patient (who asks a lot of questions!)

47 days to go...

Good luck to you Katydid.

Edited October 19, 2008 by JoannMarie

[Apples2 19]

Househuntress...congrats on the weight that you HAVE lost. You somewhat answered one of your own questions when you said that you have not quite gotten the chewing and eating too fast where it should be. Take these next two-three weeks to make a conscious effort with EVERYTHING you put into your mouth to chew and take your time. You should be able to see a difference with the pb'ing. It cannot be good for you to pb so much.

Also, for emotional support. Do you have a support group in your area? Go online and see if you can find one close to your home. It does not have to be your doc's support group. I think most accept any body. I cannot imagine doing without my group. Great information comes from a variety of tried and true actions.

I, too, struggled with 4#s for a couple of months. I stayed away from the scale and tried to just stay on plan. I have read other posts of people alternating their days from a bit higher calories and the next day stay within the plan. Supposedly that will kick things into gear. Haven't tried that plan but I know it has worked for others.

You sound like you are at a place where you are fairly frustrated and I feel for you. You have come a long way and if you can find a way to get things moving again things will seem so much better for you. I wish you loads of luck and hope your scale moves soon. Take care and good luck with finding the support you need. You always have tons of people here on LBT.

[househuntress 1]

Thank you for taking the time to answer.

That is a good idea....just learn to take my time and chew.

There isn't any type of support group in my area. I'm in a small town..the largest town is 63 miles away..so I'm sorta stuck! That's why the internet has been so important to me.

I always do better when I get online and really chase the answer.

Thank you again.

~HH~

[Apples2 19]

Thank you for taking the time to answer.

That is a good idea....just learn to take my time and chew.

There isn't any type of support group in my area. I'm in a small town..the largest town is 63 miles away..so I'm sorta stuck! That's why the internet has been so important to me.

I always do better when I get online and really chase the answer.

Thank you again.

~HH~

I feel for you being so far away from your doc and any support group. We live in a rural area...I'm only 15 miles from my doc so I feel fortunate and to have my support group is another plus. Just try to make an effort every day to check in on the board with your questions and concerns. Make this thread your base. There's always someone that has been through something similar and can support you.

BTW....Good Sunday morning to all of my friends here. Hope you are all having a good day. I am working...Grrrrrrr. My volunteer jobs are getting in the way of my real job. At the present time I am learning the new volunteer jobs and they will not take up as much time in the future so I can handle it. My husband is working today anyway so like to stay busy. DH is a true workaholic but just gotta love him!

Struggling with figuring out what my caloric intake should be to maintain now that I am at goal. I dreaded this for months. Sounds funny? I am going to just take this next two weeks and experiment. I bumped my calories up quite a bit and will see where I sit on the scale after that point. Did not help that a tummy bug was passed around the farm this week. No vomiting but a real sour tummy any time I ate. Dropped 5# and did not in any way want to. Going to eat some pumpkin ice cream once a day besides my other calories to see if it will go back on. Doc does not do fills on anyone under goal and don't want to have to struggle with hunger in the future.

I find that my band is quite fickle. Five days that are really good and two days of hunger. That tells me I should have a small fill. But, I am willing to go until my 11/04 appt. to see what happens. I have a feeling most bandsters have the same problem. Kind of sitting at an OK place with restriction but a little unsure of fills because being too tight is worse than being hungry once in awhile. Am I making sense?????????? (I've been known not to!)

You all have a great day!!:biggrin: